


Still Hurts

by demonofdiscord



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: All New Faded For Her, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 10:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12479724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonofdiscord/pseuds/demonofdiscord
Summary: Solas has returned from Skyhold after the death of his friend Wisdom. Sera is bewildered by what transpired and tries to make sense of it all.





	Still Hurts

**Author's Note:**

> A snippet from my canon play through, wherein my Inquisitor took Solas, Sera, and Cole practically everywhere. They had to get used to one another. They had no choice. Also the parallels between Sera and Solas' loyalty missions were never addressed... so I'm addressing them.

“You, _here_.” 

It wasn’t a request, it was a demand. Solas looked to his feet to see a bow and quiver, Sera stood not far from him, glowering. “Pick it up.” He sighed, Solas was in no mood for one of Sera’s pranks. His hesitation didn’t go unnoticed and Sera scoffed. “‘Snot a trick, come on then.” 

She gestured for Solas to follow. He was uncertain as to whether or not she would keep her word, yet he found himself compelled to pick up both the bow and quiver. If nothing else, whatever she had in store for him would be a welcome distraction from being alone with his own thoughts.

“Sera, what exactly are you up to?” His tone was unabashedly accusatory. 

“Arrows.” She gave him a look as though he were daft. His brows furrowed in confusion and she slouched, feigning exasperation. “Arrows in targets. With a  _bow_.” 

Solas’ eyes narrowed. What was her game today? “I know how to shoot a bow, Sera.” Even were that not the case, for what purposes his prowess in archery serve that couldn’t be better served by his magic? 

Throwing her hands up in the air, Sera let out a chuckle, as if to say ‘Of course.’ “Yeah, yeah, you know everything about everything.”

He decided to ignore her sarcasm, if only to sate his own curiosity. “So why then -“

“Shut it!” Sera waved him off dismissively. When he gave a look of offense, she rolled her eyes. “In the time it takes you to blather on about whether or not the Veil is all hot and bothered I could shoot you clean through with arrows!”

“You haven’t yet.” He couldn’t discern her angle. 

“Tempted once or twice.” Sera shook her head, her dour expression softened slightly. “Cassandra going on about seekers and templars putting a wet blanket over magic. You, out there, alone and weird. In no right state - not that you should’ve been.” She gave out a huff and Solas stilled. He didn’t want to discuss the matter, not with her. “Elle was worried, Creepy was worried, _I_ was worried.” The last bit had been a whisper, but one Solas had managed to hear. His eyes widened, lips parted as though he were about to speak, but before words could form, Sera beat him to it. “Shut it!”

Solas felt a grin spread across his features, in spite of himself. “I said nothing.”

“Ass,” she muttered, with a faint hint of fondness. She took in a breath and closed her eyes, her head already beginning to ache. He had that affect on her. “You know how to shoot, prove it.”

“If you insist.” Solas shot a couple arrows near enough to the center. Sera huffed, seemingly unimpressed. It was when Solas shot the third arrow upward and it landed dead center of the target that she let out another scoff.

“Show off.” She drew closer, Solas could see that she was angry.  _She had asked_ , he thought. “Fine then. So you can get on without magic,  _yay you_. Still stupid, still one grumpy mage with his head in the Fade not minding his feet on the ground,  _alone_.” She gritted her teeth, her frustration obvious. 

“Why the… lesson then?”

“No lesson, you already knew. You know all the things there are to know.” Sera seated herself in the grass, pulling at it with her fingers, as if she needed something to keep her hands busy with so she wouldn’t strangle him. 

“You worried for me.” Surprise in his voice. 

“I said that, I said  _just_  that. You don’t get points for knowing what I just told you.” She’d said it, yes, but he assumed it had been for Ellana’s sake, not because she - it was difficult for Solas to process. Sera shrugged. “Figured you might want to hurt something, something that’s just _something_ , not someone.” 

_The mages._

Solas took in a breath, wanting to defend himself. He was more than prepared to remind her that she’d taken vengeance against the man who had her ‘friend’ killed as well. “ _Sera_ -“

Surprised again, Sera waved him off. “They deserved it.” She glanced over at Solas as he made his way down to a sitting position as well. “Still, the hurt doesn’t go away when  _they_  do, not for me.” Ah. Ellana’s voice rang in his ears. _She’s trying, Solas. We all are._ “‘Snot the same, different kind of friend.” She ripped a handful of grass from the ground, looking at it intently, not wanting to make eye contact. “Still hurts.”

There was a moment of silence between them. “Yes,” he admitted.

“What was she like? It. They. Your friend.” Sera dared to glance over, the handful of grass falling to the ground. She wiped the rest away on her pants. So very Sera. 

“You’ve taken an interest in spirits?” Sera burst out laughing. Solas supposed he should have expected that. 

“ _Hardly.”_ She finally managed, then shuddered. “Faceless nothings in dreams. Don’t understand, don’t want to.” Sera shook her head at the thought. “This isn’t about spirits, it’s about _a_ spirit, a friend, your friend.” 

Solas blinked, he felt the urge to sigh in exasperation himself, but he resisted. “I suppose… that is progress.” Sera rolled her eyes.

“Been doing better than most, Mister Elfiest of all Elves. There’s one of them just  _lingering_ the floor above my bed while I sleep. Creepy.” Sera’s face darkened. “If it had been Creepy…” when she looked over to Solas she did so apologetically. “It’s not less because it’s only your hurt, didn’t mean -“

“Peace, Sera, the gesture is appreciated.” And it was, he thought. In addition to being wholly unexpected. 

“No jesting, just words. I’m not good at them.” Sera stretched her arms, rolled her neck and her eyes began to dart around them. She was looking for an exit, but Solas hadn’t yet noticed. 

“Gesture not -” Solas stopped himself. She was being kind. “Never mind.”

Sera let out a hardy laugh. “Can’t quit, can you? You just -  _can’t_. Not in you, is it? Worse than Lady Vivvy,” Sera bit her lip, considering her words. “No, not quite worse. Nearly.” Solas smiled slightly. 

“Quitting’s an option? In all my years I’ve never considered it.” He spoke the words sarcastically, though there was some truth to them. More than some, in fact.

“’ _All your years_ ,’“ Sera mocked, making a ‘ppbbbttt’ sound with her mouth. “What’re you? Thirty something? Forty? The way you go on sometimes, sounds like you’re older than the bloody Maker.”

“Feels that way, at times.” Solas admits, a smile at the corner of his lips.

“Was looking forward to hearing how being a know-it-all did you when you were young.” Solas gave Sera a questioning look and she smiled, though it was somber in her way. “Elle said I could ask, old friend, yeah? Bound to have stories, embarrassing stories…” She trailed off. Again they were in silence. “ _Won’t hear them now_.” A sad whisper. Solas felt Sera’s arm bump his. “Don’t go off and be stupid alone again.” She stood, stretching some more, still looking for an out. “S’what the Inquisition’s for. We get to be stupid together.” She held out her hand and Solas took it, albeit hesitantly - a force of habit, and stood as well. Sera kicked at the ground, she spoke softly, uncharacteristically so. “You have friends here.”

“Ma serannas, Sera.” He regretted the words as soon as he spoke them. She hated Elvhen. Yet, she seemed to disregard the matter entirely. 

“Didn’t say I was happy about it.” She sighed. “Don’t mention it.” Her eyes suddenly turned to his, a look of embarrassment was clear across her features. “Really,  _don’t_ , I’ll never hear the end of it.”


End file.
